Carson Wood was selected as a winner in the 2024 Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship Contest.
For his work picking up trash after home football games, TxDOT has selected high school senior Carson Wood as a winner in the 2024 Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship Contest. The Whitharral High School student received a $5,000 college scholarship, which he will apply toward his chosen field of study in Agricultural Business at Texas Tech University.
The Don’t mess with Texas Scholarship Contest is presented annually and recognizes students who are taking an active role in litter prevention at their school or in their community. A total of $ 10,000 in scholarships was awarded to two high school seniors. The 2024 scholarships are sponsored by iHeartMedia and Ozarka Water.
Serving as a member of the Hockley County 4-H, Wood noticed trash off of highways was a significant problem along Highway 385. He saw the need for his organization to make litter cleanup along this highway a needed regular project, and for the last ten years, the organization has been cleaning up litter along the roadway. He also noticed a litter problem after football games and started cleanups after each home football game with his local FFA organization. He provided the trash cans and would empty the cans after they finished the cleanups.
Whether it’s community roadways or his high school campus, Wood is passionate about making the cleanups fun while encouraging people to get involved and keep their community litter-free.
“I enjoy helping others and I take great pride in my school and my community. I want it to be beautiful for others, too,” Wood said.
Don’t mess with Texas has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. The program includes annual “Trash-Off” community outreach events and the Adopt-a-Highway volunteer program. For additional information on Don’t mess with Texas, visit dontmesswithtexas.org.